When is respiratory protection required in a workplace?

• A. Whenever the employee wants extra protection.
• B. When there is an airborne hazard that cannot be eliminated or controlled by other means.
• C. Only during office work.
• D. Only during winter months.

Answer: (B)

Respiratory protection is required only when there is an airborne hazard that cannot be eliminated or controlled by other measures. This follows the order of controls: eliminate the hazard first, then use engineering controls to reduce exposure, and apply administrative controls; respirators are used only after those options don’t bring exposure to acceptable levels. The choice of respirator depends on the type of hazard—dusts, fumes, gases, or vapors—their concentration, and how long you’ll be exposed, and implementing it typically requires a medical evaluation, a fit test for the specific model, training, and a written respiratory protection program. Office tasks or seasonal variations don’t inherently demand respiratory protection unless a specific airborne hazard is present and not controllable by other means.